LeBron James has previously pitched an idea to the Cleveland Cavaliers that they should try to acquire Carmelo Anthony.
As word emerged that LeBron James would be willing to take a pay cut to play with his “brotherhood” of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul before they all retire, the speculation and buzz on the possibilities quickly ensued.
Notions that he’s looking to bail from the Cleveland Cavaliers and create a dream team with his best friends in a hope to win a championship soon went too far, seemingly believing that the idea LeBron mentioned could realistically happen.
In the NBA, you can rarely count things out. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, and Jeremy Lin just led a 23-point comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs. Anything can happen, and that’s always the case in trades and free agency.
So, while the brotherhood dream team may be farfetched for the time being, LeBron has reportedly proposed another idea to the Cavaliers in the past that they should try adding Carmelo Anthony (per Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com):
"The New York Daily News reported during the All-Star break the Cavs, Celtics and Knicks discussed a three-team deal that would send Kevin Love to Boston and bring Anthony to Cleveland. Those reports were quickly refuted, although one source with knowledge of the situation said this week James has indeed previously pitched the idea to Cavs management of somehow bringing Anthony to Cleveland. That would require Anthony waiving his no-trade clause."
As Lloyd mentioned, Melo obviously isn’t going anywhere unless he waives his no-trade clause. He holds all the power in his situation with the struggling New York Knicks, commanding great value as their star player with the ability to command a trade and bring in a notable return if he chooses to bail on the rest of his four-year, $124 million contract.
Even though Melo insists that he wants to ride out this turbulent wave with the Knicks, it’s hard to see him turning down the notion of joining his close friend LeBron James and playing for a top contender such as the Cavaliers. As for LeBron’s motives, it’s not surprising that he’s suggested the idea to the Cavaliers. Why wouldn’t he want to land a dangerous scorer and someone who’s been a dear friend of his for many years?
However, this is obviously not an easy move to make happen. Whether Kevin Love would be traded in this hypothetical situation or other pieces would be moved in exchange for Melo, there’s no clear-cut deal that has been reported to any realistic extent in the past. On top of that, it still wouldn’t be enough to make the Cavaliers obvious championship favorites.
Also, we don’t know when this idea was “previously pitched.” Perhaps it was when LeBron James had just brought his talents back to Cleveland in 2014, or it may have been more recent than that. This is something we can’t know, so unless more on the matter emerges somehow, this can be another case in the history of LeBron’s time GM-ing his way toward creating his ideal title team.
For more NBA news, be sure to check out our NBA hub page.